Washing-machine bench.



0. H. WATKINS. WASHING momma mum.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.17, 1913- Patented Jan. 26, 1915.

THE NORRIS PETERS 50., PHOm-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

ORLA H. WATKINS, OF CLINTON, IOWA, ASSIG-NOR TO WATKINS AND FISHER, AGOIART- NERSHIP CONSISTING 0F ORLA H. WATKINS, FRED J. FISHER, BRUCE V.PIPER, AND WALTER C. FISHER, OF KEN OSHA, WISCONSIN.

WASHING-MACHINE BENCH.

Application filed November 17, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ORLA H. WATKINS, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Clinton, in the county of Clinton and State of Iowa, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in iVashing-Machine Benches, ofwhich the following is a description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in washing machine benches.

The primary object of the invention is, to provide a device designed tobe placed adjacent to a washing machine and its wringer attachment, andadapted to handle tubs, such as rinsing or bluing tubs, and to placethem in position under the wringer without having to lift these tubs, orto move the washing machine with its attached wringer.

A further object is to so construct said bench as to render the samecapable of being folded and put away, thus requiring no more space thanan ordinary ironing board.

With the above, and other incidental, ob jects in view, the inventionconsists of the devices and parts, or the equivalents thereof, ashereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the bench,parts broken away, and showing in full line one adjustment of the top ofthe bench, and in dotted line another adjustment of said top. Fig. 2 isa bottom view of a fragment of the bench; Fig. 3 is a cross section onthe line 33 of Fig. l; and, Fig. 4c is a side elevation, on a reducedscale, showing two tubs resting on the top of the bench, and showing indotted line a washing machine and its attached wringer, in juxtapositionto the bench, one of the said tubs being shown in full lines in properposition with respect to the wringer, and by dotted lines an adjustmentof the top of the bench, so as to bring the tub first referred to out ofits former alined position with respect to the wringer, and the othertub in alined position with respect to said wringer.

Referring to the drawing, the numerals 5-5 indicate the side pieces, and66 the end pieces of a rectangular frame. The side pieces are ofL-shaped form, with the horizontal members thereof extending inwardlytoward each other, and the end pieces are flat straps which, at oppositeends, are con- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 26, 1915.

Serial No. 801,379.

nected to the under side of the horizontal members of the side pieces.The end pieces are further connected to the side pieces by means ofdiagonal brace straps 7, each end piece having two of said strapsextending therefrom, and connecting with, the respective side pieces.The L-shaped side pieces 5 of the frame are also braced and connected bymeans of a central strap 8, which strap has its opposite ends bentupwardly at right angles and connected to the outer side of the verticalmembers of the side pieces.

Pivoted to opposite ends of side pieces 5 of the frame, are pairs oflegs 99. The two legs of each pair are braced and con nected together bymeans of a brace strap 10. By pivoting the legs to opposite ends of theframe, said legs are thereby rendered capable of being swung or turnedunder the frame and top portion of the bench. In other words, the deviceis in that sense foldable, and can, therefore, be put away with "outrequiring any more space than an ordinary ironing board.

The numeral 11 indicates the bench top. To the under side of this topare secured two transverse blocks 1212. Each of these blocks carriesbearings 1313 for a trans verse shaft 14. Each shaft carries on oppositeends rollers 15-15, which are adapted to ride on the horizontal membersor ledges of the L-shaped side pieces 5 of the frame.

It is desirable that some means be provided for preventing theseparation of the bench top from its supporting frame Work, and for thispurpose I secure to opposite ends of each of the blocks 12, plates 1616.Each of these plates is formed with depending angular extensions, asclearly shown in the drawing, the horizontal members of said. extensionspassing beneath the horizontal ledges of the L-shaped side members 5 ofthe frame. By the provision of these L-shaped stops 16, it is evident,that upon an up movement of the bench top 11, the horizontal members ofsaid stops will come in contact with the under side of the horizontalledges of the side pieces of the frame, and, consequently, withdrawal orseparation of the bench top from the frame upwardly is prevented. Thestops 16 also act as a means for preventing the separation of the benchtop longitudinally from the frame, and likewise serve to limit themovement longitudinally in either direction ofthe bench top, by reasonof the contact of one set of the stops 16 with thediagonal straps 7 atone end of the frame, or, the contact of the two stops 16 of theothersetwith the diagonal straps T at the opposite end of the frame. In Figs.1 and 2 of the drawing, the stops 16 at the left hand end are shown incontact with the left hand diagonal brace straps 7 thus showing that thebench top is adjusted or slid toward the left to its full extent. InFig. 1 of the drawing, in dotted lines, the bench top is 'shown as'adjusted toward the right to its fullextentg'the other two stops 16being in contact with the right hand diagonal straps-7. r

Onone of its side edges, and centrally, or approximately central,thereof, the bench top is formed with a rounded recess 17. Thisrecess-is for the accommodationof the limb of} the person 'operatingthe'device, and" permits such person 'to obtain more ready access to thetubs and to the w'ringer. Also adjacent onelongitudinal edge of thebench =top," and secured to the under side thereof, is preferablyemployed a longitudinal brace or'reinforcing strip 18.

In Fig. 4 of the drawing, I show in dotted lines the outline "of awashing machine, indicated bythe numeral 19, and by dotted lines theoutline of a wringer 20 attached to or carried by said machine. Thewashing machine and its attached wringer are shown as arranged adjacent"to that side of the benhtop. whichisunprovided with the recess 17, andthe said bench top is shown as supporting two'tubs 21and 22respectively. It will' be assumed that the'bench' top is adjusted totheposition shown-in Fig. 4 of-the drawing, that is to say, is adjustedto its full extent towardthe left, and that also saidltop is supportingthe two tubs 21 and 22, with the tub =21 alined with the wringer, saidtub 21' being the :rinsing tub and the tubnQZ the bluing tub. 1 It willbe "further assumed that the clothes are being taken from:-=the washingmachine 'and'are being passedthrough the wringer rolls for "deposite intherinsing tub; After i the clothes are-thus deposited/in the rinsingtub they are left-thereinfor the-propertime to insur'e thorough rinsing.They are then taken by hand-and passed'through the wringer rolls, so-asto be thoroughly wrung out, and

Copies of this patent may be obtained for are then deposited in thebluing tub 22. The bench top is now pushed to the right to the fullextent permitted, the said top rolling on the rollers 15 duringsuch-movement. This adjustment of the-bench top wilLb'ring the bluingtub 22 in 'aline'ment with the wringer.- After the clothes have remainedin the bluing tub for the requisite length of time, they are liftedtherefrom and again passed through the wringer rolls, the said wringerrolls being *then rotated in a direction to cause the clothes to travelover the washing machine to a place of deposit.

From the foregoing description, it "will be seen that I provide a most"desirablean'd efficient device to be used in connection with a washingmachine and its wringer, thesaid' device being adapted to handlethe tubsand place them in position under the "wringer without the necessity forlifting Ia tub-or moving the machine. What I claim'is 1. In a washingmachine bench, the com,- bination with a framework, of a supporting toplongitudinally slidable 'on' the frame work, and means for limiting thesliding movement of'the top in opposite directions-1 2. In a washingmachine bench,"the=com'-' bination of a framework, a supporting toplongitudially slidable on the framework, and; means for preventingtheupward' separation of the top from the "framework.

3. In a washing machine bench, the com bination of 'a'framework, asupporting top longitudinally s'lidable in said framework, bracketsdepending from the under side of the top, said brackets being in angularform,

with the horizontal members thereof-extending beneath the side'membersofthe frame, whereby upward separation'of the top'from the framework isprevented, stops 'at oppo site ends of the framework withwhich sto pssaid brackets'are adapted to contact, when five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Iatents,

Washington, D. 0.

